George Richards here offering you warm greetings from Miami Gardens Stadium where the Marlins are entertaining the Colorado Rockies in a sun-filled double header.

Television coverage on FSN doesn't start until 3:30 p.m., so here's what's happening:

Top of 1: Chris Volstad struggles a bit, giving up a solo shot to Carlos Gonzalez on a 3-2 pitch with one out. Volstad then walked the next two, but got Brad Hawpe to ground out to Jorge Cantu for a 5-3 double play. COL 1, FLA 0

Bottom of 1: Chris Coglan opens with a basehit, thrown out at second trying to stretch his single into a double. You can do that at Wendy's for a nominal fee. Turned out it cost the Marlins as Hanley Ramirez drilled a 2-2 pitch into the club section in left. Cantu ends the inning after getting tagged out on a long groundout to third. We move the second...

-- NICK JOHNSON, who batted second today, left the game after the first inning with a right hamstring injury.

Jeremy Hermida replaces Johnson in the lineup and bats second; Hermida is in right field, Coghlan moves to left and Gload replaces Johnson at first base.

T-2: A nice easy inning for Volstad...1-2-3

B-2: Big inning for the Fish; Marlins have Dan Uggla and Cody Ross at second and third with one out and Gload takes a free pass to load 'em up. With one out, Volstad leaks a single into right to score Uggs and Ross making it 3-1; then Coghlan crushes one off the NL scoreboard in left-center to make it a five-run inning and give the home team a 6-1 lead. Aaron Cook strikes out Hanley to end it, but the Rocks bullpen is working. Former Cardinal Gibbons star Josh Fogg is warming up...

B-3: Cook gets the first out of the inning but then walks Baker and Uggla. That brings Fogg up in the bullpen again. Ross singles to left, but Baker has to hold at third. Gload then singles in a run with the bases loaded, it's 7-1. And say good day to Aaron Cook. Still responsible for the three guys sitting on that duck-filled pond. Josh Fogg is in to face Volstad with the bases juiced (can I say juiced on a baseball blog?) Anywho, Volstad strikes out. So too does Coghlan. So Fogg keeps the damage to a minimum.

T-4: Volstad gives up a double to start things off but gets out of the inning with nothing across..

B-4: With one out, Hanley drops a single into shallow right. With two down, Baker doubles to right, Hanley held at third. Uggla flies out, and that's that.

-- On a side note, the Indians are beating Minnesota. I share because that's rare. Not so much them winning, but actually having a chance to win a series on the road...

-- Also, the Mets lead the Giants 2-1 in the 8th; Florida comes into today trailing the Giants by a game in the wild card race. The Cubs, who are behind FLA, are in a rain delay. Atlanta plays the Phils tonight.

T-5: Easy inning for Volstad...1-2-3

-- The Marlins mascots are doing the Chicken Dance behind the third base line with some Lion looking thing. It could be Stanley C. Panther's strange little brother though, you know, the one he rarely talks about...

B-5:Ross to lead it off, followed by Gload and Volstad...Ross pops up, with Gload grounding out...Volstad also grounds out for a 1-2-3 inning for the Foggster...

Stretching in the FLA bullpen: Brian Sanches and Cristhian Martinez...Volstad has thrown 94 pitches but will be out there to start the sixth..

T-6: Volstad lets first two get on and is done for the day...Dan Meyer is into the game...Meyer gets the Marlins out of it...

-- Scoreboard Watch: Giants tie up the Metropolitans in the eighth...it's 2-2 at Shea...

B-6: Marlins get some action on the basepaths, but fail to score...

T-7:With none out and a runner on, Ryan Spillborghs doubles off the NL scoreboard in left-center to cut the Rockies deficit to five...Kiko Calero is warming up in the pen as now there are runners on the corners with no outs...Renyel Pinto also getting loose...Carlos Gonzalez makes it 7-3 with a sacrifice RBI fly...but that's all the Rocks get...Time to stretch!

B-7:John Baker gets things going in the seventh, leading off with a double down into right...Uggla walks, Cody Ross (2-3) up next...Matt Daley pitching for the Rocks FYI....Ross reaches with a high shot to center as Dexter Fowler loses it in the sun...bases loaded, no outs for Gload who drives one to right for an RBI...Uggla moves to third, Ross thrown out at second...Wes Helms pinch-hitting with one on and two down...Helms up the middle, drives in Uggla...

-- The Marlins can tie San Francisco for second place in the Wild Card race with a win here today. If Florida wins the second game, the Marlins pass the Giants and move into a tie for first with the Rockies. The Mets beat the Giants 3-2 today...

T-8: Renyel Pinto now into the game for the Fish and he gets the first two batters out. He does not get the third as Ian Stewart doubles to right....Pinto ends it by striking out Clint Barmes....

-- Hey, hey, hey: Greenman is here! And he's sitting in left field. Go say hello for me if you would...

B-8: Hanley leads things off with a double off the scoreboard. Another bowl of Wheaties this morning and that might have found its way out of here. Jorge Cantu gets on, dropping a soft one into right...still no outs for John Baker...

With the bases loaded, Cody Ross singles, giving him an RBI and four (FOUR!) hits today...Marlins are up a touchdown and the Broncos only have one possession left....

T-9:Calero is now in the game, running into a little resistance from the Rockies...runner on, two out...

Well that's that. Drive careful everyone. What? We're not going anywhere? OK, come on back for Game 2. With the Marlins a game back in the Wild Card, we'll go live for that too. Not that it's real hard to do....